Is the honeymoon among the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) office-bearers over? In the last one year, a disparate group of individuals had forged an alliance with the express object of ending Arshad Ayub's reign in the association. Most of them had a personal grouse against the previous regime and that helped them to come together - a kind of a 'maha gathbandhan'.
With the objective being realised and having taken charge a couple of months ago, the individuals now seem to have started working on their own agendas. With two headstrong persons at the helm of affairs in the form of president G Vivekanand and secretary T Shesh Narayan, there is bound to be friction. But no one had predicted that the partnership will run into rough weather so soon. The misunderstanding between them is increasing by the day and sources in the HCA said they are pulling in different directions.
"There seems to be a complete lack of coordination between the president and secretary. Both of them have their own agendas to pursue and hence the inevitable clashes. This doesn't augur well for the association, which is already reeling under severe strain," a former office-bearer said.
The latest flashpoint is the postponement of the Special General Meeting (SGM) which was supposed to be held on July 2. The Apex Council in its June 9 meeting had unanimously decided to have the SGM in July so that the General Body could ratify the amendments necessary to fall in line with the recommendations of the Lodha Committee.
On June 13, Vivek called for an emergency meeting of the Apex Council but Shesh Narayan and treasurer P Mahender Reddy did not attend it. It was decided by the three members, who attended the meeting, to postpone the SGM. Sources said that the members cannot override the decision made in the previous meeting.
Vivek on Wednesday sent a mail to the administrators - Justice (retd) Anil Dave and Justice (retd) GV Seethapathy - that the SGM "which we were planning to have on July 2, 2017 is now not planned." The mail says, "We are getting the draft of various amendments to be made in the Memorandum and Rules & Regulations of HCA ready... After finalising the draft, we will place before Apex Council and take steps to conduct the SGM."
Efforts to reach Vivek proved futile. His secretary, who answered the call, said that Vivek was off for Manali. About the postponement of the SGM, he said it was done as Vivek would be out of the country during those days.
At a time when the BCCI's CoA has sent a missive to all the state units to get their act together and take necessary steps to implement the Lodha panel recommendations, the postponement of the SGM doesn't augur well for the HCA. The CoA categorically stated in its mail that unless the associations fully implement the recommendations, they will not be entitled for any BCCI funds.
"The association doesn't have money and if the reforms are not implemented soon then it will be bankrupt. Personal egos and agendas should not spoil the future of the association," a former office-bearer said.
Sources also said that Vivek wants to attend the BCCI meetings and therefore is keen on amending the Constitution so that the president has more powers. On the other hand, Shesh too is keen that his position is not undermined by the president.
(Courtesy: The Times of India)